Beverage brewing unit particularly for machines for preparing beverages from capsules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10448780-B2
Application number	US-201515302758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A beverage brewing unit such as for machines for preparing beverages from capsules is disclosed and includes a casing and capsule enclosing and insertion assemblies. Methods of producing and using same are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage brewing unit particularly for machines for preparing beverages from capsules, comprising:
a casing;
a capsule enclosing assembly comprising a first enclosing part connected to the casing and a second enclosing part moveable relative to the first enclosing part along a longitudinal direction of axis, between a capsule insertion position in which the two enclosing parts are at a distance from each other with a passage formed in between and a capsule enclosing position in which the capsule is enclosed between the first and second enclosing parts, and wherein the second enclosing part comprises a pressing edge for pressing against a flange of the capsule, said edge surrounding a cavity for receiving at least a part of the body of the capsule therein;
a capsule insertion assembly comprising a pair of jaws arranged for guiding the capsule towards the intermediate insertion position and holding it in said position, said jaws comprising a pair of support surfaces for holding the flange of the capsule and preventing fall of the capsule by gravity, each jaw further comprising a sliding surface positioned above the support surface on the jaw for guiding the flange of the capsule along the sliding surface until the flange is finally retained by the support surface;
wherein the jaws are moveable between a capsule holding position in which the support surfaces are close to one another a distance sufficient to hold the capsule in said position and a capsule release position in which the support surfaces of the jaws are spread apart a distance sufficient to no longer hold the capsule;
characterized in that:
the jaws are driven from the capsule release position to the capsule holding position by first actuation means and from the capsule holding position to the capsule release position by second actuation means, wherein the first actuation means comprises a pair of first cam portions extending longitudinally beyond the pressing edge in direction of the first enclosing part, and wherein the second actuation means comprises a pair of second cam portions extending rearwardly offset relative to the pressing edge and protruding outwardly;
wherein the first and second actuation means are arranged at longitudinal distance one another along the direction of longitudinal axis for the relative movement of the two enclosing parts in such a manner that the first actuation means acts on the jaws when the second enclosing part moves relatively away from the first enclosing part and the two enclosing parts are sufficiently distant one another to allow the capsule to be removed from the capsule enclosing assembly through the passage after brewing, and the second actuation means acts on the jaws when the second enclosing part moves relatively towards the first enclosing part and the enclosing parts are sufficiently close one another to enable the capsule to be maintained or held in a correct alignment by at least one of the enclosing parts before being enclosed by the enclosing parts;
wherein each jaw is pivotally mounted on the casing or on the first enclosing part along a pivot axle which is substantially parallel to the direction of longitudinal axis of relative movement of the enclosing parts; and
wherein the jaws are held in each position by force retaining means, and wherein the force retaining means comprise, for each jaw:
a resilient biasing member connected respectively to the jaw and to the casing or first enclosing part, on each side of the pivot axle of the jaw, to force the jaw in one of the two positions, thereby forming stable positions, depending on the offset position of the pivot axle relative to an extension line connecting a first connection point and a second connection point of the resilient biasing member; and/or
a magnetic arrangement providing a magnetic attraction force between the jaw and a portion of the casing or first enclosing part when the jaw is positioned in any one of the two positions.

2. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuation means form parts of the second enclosing part or are shared between the second enclosing part and the capsule insertion assembly.

3. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second actuation means comprise non-slidably moveable projecting cam portions of the second enclosing part.

4. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuation means is arranged to block the jaws in the capsule holding position when the first and second enclosing parts are in the capsule insertion position, the jaws thereby being prevented to spread apart by the load of the capsule when it is inserted in the passage by gravity.

5. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuation means are arranged at relative spacial distance respectively above and below the pivot axles of jaws on the casing or first enclosing part.

6. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the resilient biasing member is a traction helical spring, wherein the first connection point thereof is connected to a lower portion of the jaw, and the second connection point thereof is connected to the casing positioned above the pivot axle.

7. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the force retaining means comprises, for each jaw, a magnetic arrangement providing a magnetic attraction force between the jaw and a portion of the casing or first enclosing part when the jaw is positioned in any one of the two positions magnetic arrangement comprises:
(a) a ferro-magnetic element or magnet attached to the lower portion of the jaw;
(b) a first ferro-magnetic element or magnet attached to the casing;
(c) a second ferro-magnetic element or magnet attached to the casing at a separate position a short transversal distance from the first ferro-magentic element of magnet; and
wherein the jaw is secured firmly in the capsule insertion position by the attraction created between (a) and (b), and wherein the jaw is secured firmly in the capsule enclosing position by the attraction created between (a) and (c).

8. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first enclosing part comprises a brewing interface member with at least one spring-blade that acts on the capsule to unstick it from the said member.

9. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second enclosing part comprises capsule ejecting means which engage the capsule to facilitate its removal from the cavity, wherein the ejecting means comprise a spring-biased pressing edge or at least one pusher slidably mounted against a spring.

10. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first enclosing part and second enclosing part form together at least part of a centrifugal brewing unit in which the capsule is driven in rotation for exerting forces of centrifugation inside the capsule resulting in beverage to be extracted from the capsule.

11. A beverage production device comprising:
a beverage brewing unit comprising:
a casing;
a capsule enclosing assembly comprising a first enclosing part connected to the casing and a second enclosing part moveable relative to the first enclosing part along a longitudinal direction of axis, between a capsule insertion position in which the two enclosing parts are at distance from each other with a passage formed in between and a capsule enclosing position in which the capsule is enclosed between the first and second enclosing parts, and wherein the second enclosing part comprises a pressing edge for pressing against a flange of the capsule, said edge surrounding a cavity for receiving at least a par

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Ryser Antoine
• Perentes Alexandre

Classifications

• A47J31/3638

  Means to eject the cartridge after brewing · CPC title

• A47J31/3633 Primary

  Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position · CPC title

• A47J31/22 Primary

  Centrifuges for producing filtered coffee (A47J31/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J31/407

  with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means · CPC title